coal

As quoted in Politico, Len Peters told conference attendees that he was impressed with the way the Environmental Protection Agency had provided outreach and guidance to states crafting plans to comply with upcoming federal greenhouse gas regulations. Read Story

Kentucky’s Energy and Environment Cabinet secretary has drawn both praise and criticism for comments he made during last week’s Climate Leadership Conference in Washington D.C. As quoted in Politico, Len Peters told conference attendees that he was impressed with the way the … Read Story

For the first time in about a century, no union coal miners are working in Kentucky. The state’s few remaining union miners were laid off New Year's Eve when Patriot Coal’s Highland Mine in Western Kentucky shut down. Read Story

For the first time in about a century, no union coal miners are working in Kentucky. The state’s few remaining union miners were laid off New Year’s Eve when Patriot Coal’s Highland Mine in Western Kentucky shut down, the United … Read Story

At issue is the role outside groups—in this case, environmental groups—are allowed to play in environmental enforcement. Read Story

The Kentucky Energy and Environment Cabinet is appealing two recent court orders involving water pollution in Eastern Kentucky from coal company Frasure Creek Mining. At issue is the role outside groups—in this case, environmental groups—are allowed to play in environmental … Read Story

Kentucky’s coal production and employment dropped only slightly in 2014, but sharper declines are likely in the future. Read Story

Kentucky’s coal production and employment dropped only slightly in 2014, but sharper declines are likely in the future. The Kentucky Energy and Environment Cabinet released its quarterly coal report for the fourth quarter of 2014 today. Preliminary data suggest the … Read Story

President Obama released his proposed budget today, and for the first time, the plan includes funding explicitly to help coal communities transition away from economies based on fossil fuels. In a fact sheet, Obama’s administration said the “Power+ Plan” is … Read Story

When it comes to pollution, if a permit doesn’t mention it, it doesn’t matter how much of a pollutant a mine discharges. Read Story

When it comes to pollution, if a permit doesn’t mention it, it doesn’t matter how much of a pollutant a mine discharges. That’s the takeaway from a U.S. Court of Appeals decision released earlier this week. The case—Sierra Club v. … Read Story

A new study from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology has found some potential issues with injecting carbon dioxide deep into the earth. Carbon sequestration—paired with carbon capture—is seen by some as a technology that will allow coal-fired power plants to … Read Story

Elaine Chao has resigned from the board of Bloomberg Philanthropies as the foundation revs up its commitment to its clean energy initiative. Read Story

Elaine Chao has resigned from the board of Bloomberg Philanthropies as the foundation revs up its commitment to its clean energy initiative, the office of her husband, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, confirmed Wednesday. Chao, the secretary of labor in … Read Story

Mining companies can’t sue individual government inspectors for damages, according to a ruling from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit issued late last month. The case involved a Bell County underground mine operated by Left Fork Mining. … Read Story

Last year marked a new record low for coal mine deaths in the U.S. Sixteen coal miners died on the job in 2014. Two of those deaths were in Kentucky, and one was in Indiana. This was the lowest number … Read Story

Coal will continue to be burned at all of the units at a large power plant in Western Kentucky. The Tennessee Valley Authority’s board of directors voted today to install pollution controls on two units at the Shawnee Fossil Plant … Read Story

Patriot Coal will idle two large coal mines in Western Kentucky, beginning today. As many as 650 workers could be affected. Patriot warned layoffs could be coming earlier this month, when it issued WARN notices to employees at its Highland … Read Story

The federal government has released the nation’s first-ever rules on how to handle, store and dispose of waste from coal-fired power plants. The final iteration of the regulations has largely disappointed environmental groups—who hoped for more stringent rules. Industry groups … Read Story

The federal government is touting its environmental enforcement efforts from 2014 across the country. The Environmental Protection Agency says during the fiscal year, its actions reduced about 141 million pounds of air pollutants and 337 million pounds of water pollutants. … Read Story

The federal Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement plans to clarify rules to protect coalfields communities from the toxic gases that are released when blasting on surface mines. The announcement was in response to a petition filed by the … Read Story